sustainability

 Can we be a hydrogen model region for the combined mobility and energy transition?  

The call came unexpectedly. "We would like to work with the county to submit an application to the HyLand program." We - that was some players around Energy Saxony, the University of Zittau/Görlitz, the city of Görlitz and regional transport companies.

Up to this call I have not yet dealt with the call. It was a matter of catching up. And hey - funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, this can be a good opportunity for our region. Of course, formulating an application always means that considerable effort is involved. Nevertheless, after a short review of the program, I agreed to support the cause. The idea: the district of Görlitz is not just a cooperation partner, but an applicant. The central question: How do we get real value chains and jobs established in our beautiful district, mirrored by future trends such as hydrogen. So the order was clear, the topic should be considered across the district and a maximum of many partners should be addressed.   

Can we do it?  

We have reinforcements in the team on May 1st, 2021. Saskia Brosius and Clara Hartung are there, among other things, to pour those innovative ideas into concrete project forms. Henry Poppitz was already interested in the subject. After all, we have enough electricity from PV areas at the airfield to think about the topic of Power-to-X. Nevertheless, a specific application is always something different than pure interest. Christoph Scholze, a fighter for the region and the topic, encouraged us to become active here. Said and done. The district gave its approval super fast. Edition "But you write the application". Looking back, I sometimes have a queasy feeling with such spontaneous commitments.   

Deadline is approaching  

As is so often the case, there are clear deadlines as to when an application must be submitted and where. In the two weeks before submitting the application, we somehow completed all of our tasks – thanks to teams. Everyone gave their all. The employees have found each other. I'm really proud. The application is impressive. It's not just a very nice description of where we're going. It also reads like a joint proposal. In addition to the Chemnitz and Dresden transport companies, partners are also many cities and communities, research institutions and companies. In total, we have received more than 20 declarations of willingness to work actively. We have even identified partners in the Liberec area who want to think along with us about a cross-border approach. With such cross-border work, we are of course very happy about the commitment of Jan Marek, our new Czech expert.

Now keep your fingers crossed  

We submitted the application on June 18, 2021. Now it's time to stay tuned. How is our suggestion evaluated? Can we convince the Federal Ministry and the responsible coordination offices? The more I read the application, I realize: Yes, we can be a hydrogen model region for the mobility and energy transition! I believe. Keep your fingers crossed for us.   

https://www.hy-starter.de/region/lausitz/